Who:
Daniella Raji — @donne_ella21 — Nigerian from Lagos, Nigeria — born January 21st — 178 cm / 5’10” — she/her.

Where:
SK Models (Lagos – mother agency), Monster Management (Milan)

— Share a bit about your background and upbringing.
I was born into a Christian and Muslim family. My mom was a Christian, and my dad was a Muslim; their different religious beliefs caused a lot of problems. We are from a tribe called the Yorubas, mostly found in the southern part of Nigeria. Growing up, there was a lot of emphasis placed on our religion, culture, traditions, and respect. My parents divorced when I was six, and although it made me and my two brothers sad, it happened, and we have been living with our mother, who has been single-handedly taking care of us for 11 years.

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I love singing, and I have a couple of songs that I don’t plan on releasing.
2. I am an amazing dancer, and I love to read novels and watch movies.
3. I love traveling, which is why I want to become a pilot alongside modeling.

— Tell us about your hometown.
My hometown is Oka Akoko, in Ondo state, Nigeria. It’s a beautiful place with many spiritual and ancestral sites. There is a spring in my hometown called Ikogbosi Warm Spring. It’s a place where cold and warm water meet, but they never mix. The worst thing about my hometown is that it’s not very developed, the internet reception there is bad, and there isn’t a lot of infrastructure.

Who:
Julia Moraes — @eujuliamorais_ — Brazilian from Miguel Pereira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — born February 13th — 175 cm / 5’9″ — she/her.

Where:
Way Model Management (São Paulo), City Models (Paris)

— How did you become a model?
Ever since I was little, I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself in front of the camera, but in my pre-adolescence, I went through a phase of insecurity. When I was 17, I started to let myself go and produce my own photo shoots, already thinking about becoming a model. On my own, I started to take my digitals and send them to a few agencies. It was then that one of the biggest agencies in Brazil got in touch with me and I became a professional model.

— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
My family says that when I was little, I had an imaginary friend; I would talk to him alone on my cell phone and even argue with him.

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I’m completely in love with nature. I was brought up and grew up in the middle of it. I have an inexplicable connection with the forest; the smell and the sound of it make my body vibrate, and peace comes over me.

Who:
Maylan You — @maylan_y — Chinese from Yunnan, China — born February 5th — 174 cm / 5’8.5″ — she/her.

Where:
TOMORROW TOKYO, Metro Model (China – mother agency)

— What is your biggest irrational fear?
I am very afraid of caterpillars.

— Share a bit about your background and upbringing.
I’m from China, but I’m living in Tokyo, and I graduated from Tama Art University.

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I will inadvertently force myself to think of painful things because it will inspire me.

Who:
Michał Karpiński — @michal.karpinski3007 — Polish from Poznań, Poland — born May 27th — 190 cm / 6’3″ — he/him.

Where:
MA Management (Poland – mother agency)

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I started walking when I was only 7 months old.
2. I’ve been sailing since I was 6.
3. I can quite well imitate the sound of an elephant 🐘

— What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
Meditation – I can’t fall asleep until I have those 5 minutes of inner peace

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I try to help drug addicts and alcoholics to find their new way. I’d been volunteering in the hospital, taking care of those who overdosed. In the future, I want to help them as well.

Who:
Tristan Watkins — @tristan.w07 — British from Bristol, England — born April 2nd — 191 cm / 6’3″ — he/him.

Where:
MENACE MODEL MANAGEMENT (London – mother agency), Fashion Model Management (Milan)

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
People might be surprised by my encyclopedic knowledge of fish. I work part-time in an aquatics centre, and I’ve always been fascinated by aquatics and marine conservation.

— Tell us about your hometown.
I live in a small, rural village next to the River Severn. It’s a spectacular river and is brilliant for sailing and water sports, although its very tidal so you need to be brave! The best part is definitely the peacefulness and nature, but the worst thing is the lack of public transport – no buses!

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I can name almost any fish in the world, thanks to my obsession with aquatics!
2. When I was 15, I was playing dodgeball and took a hit to my eye, which partially detached my retina. I had emergency laser eye surgery, where, luckily, they were able to reattach the retina and save my eyesight. The worst thing was, it was my own teammate that did the damage!
3. I am really dyslexic, which makes it fun to read tube maps (especially in Milan!!)

Who:
Yuchen Zhao — Chinese from Hangzhou, China — born June 25th — 187 cm / 6’1″ — he/him.

Where:
Mostar Models (Shanghai – mother agency)

— What’s a favorite book/movie/TV show, and why do you love it?
My favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. It is a profound allegory of hope, friendship, self-redemption, and the pursuit of freedom that inspires people to remain hopeful in the face of adversity, to pursue freedom, and to change their destiny through action.

— What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
Freedom is vital in my life. I love riding my bike, and I love the freedom of being able to run down the road. I once read that freedom is the limitless sky that lets you soar and frees your soul. Maybe that’s what freedom is!

— How did you become a model?
During the summer vacation, I went through 21 days of professional training at a modeling camp, and then the agency came to the camp for an interview, and I was lucky enough to be selected, thus starting my modeling path.